Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace is an outdoor ethics programme designed to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships.

This is the place to find out more about everyone’s access rights and responsibilities in Ireland’s outdoors. Leave No Trace Ireland applies to most public lands, coastal and inland water.

If you’re a member of the public wanting to enjoy some fresh air in a local park, or a dog walker, hill walker, mountain biker, horse rider or kayaker, there is information for you and much more.

Ireland’s outdoors is managed by a variety of people and organisations and many of them earn their living from the land. It is all of our responsibilities to respect each other’s activities and interests in the outdoors.

As increasing numbers of people seek the beauty and exhilaration of outdoor recreation, our collective mark on the environment and its natural processes, increases. Litter, disturbance to vegetation, water pollution, wildlife, livestock and other people are all indicators of the need to develop a national ethic that protects both natural and cultural heritage. Techniques designed to minimise the social and environmental impacts to these areas are incorporated into the Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics Education Programme as seven Principles.

The Leave No Trace message has been adopted by many organisations from Government Departments, State Agencies, National Governing Bodies of Sport, education and training organisations and range of tourism businesses. It is this broad adoption and promotion that gives the message its strength, together with the fact that the principles are all positive in nature and based on sound science. Leave No Trace Ireland’s office is located in Westport, Co. Mayo.

We have a current Strategic Plan, The Outdoors is yours – Protect it! which guides our objectives in carrying out our mission over the next 5 years.

Irish Environmental Network

The Irish Environmental Network is an umbrella network that works to support environmental NGOs through access to funding and services. It consists of environmental NGOs that carry out their work through practical conservation work, campaigning, lobbying and raising public awareness of environmental and conservation needs.

Environmental Pillar

The Environmental Pillar is comprised of national environmental NGOs, who work together to represent the views of the Irish environmental sector. The main aim is to create and promote policies that advance sustainability and to provide a channel for government and other social partners to engage with the environmental sector on policy matters.

Supported by Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment